3Rivers Archery



The Trad Gang Digital Market













Contribute to Trad Gang and Access the Classifieds!

Become a Trad Gang Sponsor!

Traditional Archery for Bowhunters






LEFT HAND BOWS CLASSIFIEDS TRAD GANG CLASSIFIEDS ACCESS RIGHT HAND BOWS CLASSIFIEDS


Author Topic: Florida questions (answered) part 2  (Read 244 times)

Offline saltwatertom

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 536
Florida questions (answered) part 2
« on: November 23, 2011, 02:25:00 PM »
As the date approached for our departure to FL I kept asking my father in-law about the possibility of hunting pigs this time, and he replyed, "no problem, it's all set up".

So.... when we got there, it turns out it wasn't "all set up" and we had fun doing other stuff but getting around to actually settin up a hunt seemed to fade somewhat.

I finally got impatient and booked a hunt with a guide one morning after being there (FL) for over a week. Now the wheels started turning and we got permission for me to hunt right across the street from the inlaws on a couple hundred acre plant nursery. Tho I had never seen the rumored pigs, supposedly there was a sow and a boar and some little ones runninng around the place.

After plinking a few practice shots into a cardboard box I set off walking out the lane of my inlaws 7 acre orange grove for across the street and some poking around to get the lay of  the land in said nursery. It is now 5 pm. No high hopes, but it is something to do till we are supposed to go to supper at 7.

Remember here I know basicly nothing about pigs or huting them. As I get into the really dense part of the nursery property it is just over grown and jungle. Can't see very far and I have visions of hogs the size of cows ready to gore me, I have heard plenty of stories. At least there are no alligators in here (I hope) I hear crashes and thumps in the brush all over. It is a little spooky and dark and close quarters in here!!

I guide brown bear hunts here in AK so I am not REALLY that bothered but a little drama for the story eh?

I realize that all teh noises I have been hearing are mostly squirrels bashing around in the trees and dropping and knocking things down out of the trees.

Got up close and personal with a raccoon who didn't seem to be bothered by my presence.

As is sneak (relative term in the mostly dry cruchy undergrowth) slowly I see black pig shaped forms rooting around ahead of me. Too far and to much brush for a shot but I keep going slowly. I stop when they spook some. When they move off I resume in their direction. Out of the corner of my eye I see movement and stop again.

The movement turns out to be a small piggy rooting next to a tree root and he is broadside to me with only the top half of the body showing.

15 yards maybe? I practice for shots like this every chance it get on my targets at home. 20 targets at unknown distances, around trees, thru branches over obsticals, etc. No thought. Just shoot.

The arrow slides over the tree root by a whisker punches thru both lungs and the Woodsman doesn't even slow down. A short squeal and the pig runs off.
  :archer2:  
This is getting long winded, so I will be back soon with some more of the story.
"There is always luck about, for those willing to look for it"

Offline saltwatertom

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 536
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2011, 02:33:00 PM »


OK, don't worry we will get there.   :thumbsup:
"There is always luck about, for those willing to look for it"

Offline saltwatertom

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 536
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2011, 05:05:00 PM »
I had to call my wife on the cell phone and have her bring flashlights as it was getting dark now. We fould the blood trail and it was a short one, maybe 40 / 50 yards.

Here is what was at the end of the blood trail.

 


Cleaned up and back at the house.


 

At 7 pm we were driving out the lane and the pig, (whole, gutted) was in the frezzer.

I was to meet Eric ( my guide for the next day) at 5:30 the next morning. I'll be back later and tell of that hunt ( with pics ) in a while, going to take another break now.
"There is always luck about, for those willing to look for it"

Offline gregg dudley

  • TG HALL OF FAME
  • Trad Bowhunter
  • *****
  • Posts: 4879
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2011, 05:13:00 PM »
Congratulations, man!  Glad you had a good hunt.
MOLON LABE

Traditional Bowhunters Of Florida
Come shoot with us!

Online rastaman

  • TG HALL OF FAME
  • Trad Bowhunter
  • *****
  • Posts: 7825
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2011, 06:20:00 PM »
Way to go sir! Glad it worked out for you!
TGMM Family of the Bow

                                                   :archer:                                               

Randy Keene
"Life is precious and so are you."  Marley Keene

Offline metsastaja

  • TGMM Member
  • Trad Bowhunter
  • ***
  • Posts: 1165
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2011, 07:20:00 PM »
Doesn't get much better. Except perhaps on the Grill and not in the Frig.
Les Heilakka
TGMM Family of the Bow  
Some times the uneventful nights are just as good if not better than the eventful ones

Offline tradlongbow

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 2643
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2011, 09:38:00 PM »
Next time you go hunting in Florida give me a call. Congratulations Darren
Darren

[email protected]

"Archery may not be the sport of all Kings, but Archery is the King of Sports"
Howard Hill

SunSet Hill, stringfollow, 66" [email protected]",

Offline saltwatertom

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 536
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2011, 09:48:00 PM »
I meet Eric, my guide at 5:30 Saterday morning and we go to his ranch. When he sees that I hunt with a trad bow he gets skeptical. He has never guided a trad bow hunter before and, like most people, only has experience with wheelie bows.
He calms down when he finds out I really may know what I am doing ( being a guide up here and all )

We go to his ground blind and wait for the pigs to show up. Little ones at first and then finally a shooter shows up. Even tho I signed up for a medium size pig he says go ahead this one is a larger pig by his standards. I have to wait for about 5 minutes for the pig to step out from behind a tree and present a broadside shot at 12 yards.

The arrow hit a bit high and the hog squeals and runs off. We wait for about 20 minutes and then go looking.

As we are looking for my pig we see other bands of pigs and in one of the bands is a pig that is moving weird. When they stop we can see he is skinny and a little scrawny looking. Eric says to take this one too if I want to so I say "yea!"

This shot is about 20 yards and just as I release he turns quickly and the arrow hits high and forward. We keep this pig in sight and and one point he turns and runs past us at 6 to 8 yards away. Without thinking I pull up and shoot and make what is probobly the best shot of my  life. A perfect heart/ lung pass thru and we have a dead pig that drops in just a few yards.

We gather up this pig and then the first pig and take them back to Eric's barn to weigh them and do the knife work.

First pig was over 200 lbs and ( Eric says ) 2 years old. The second pig weighed in at 150+ and was aged at 4 years old. The second pig looked like he had maybe been hit by a car and was a little scawny.

First pig
 

Second pig. You can see the exit wound from my running shot below what is left of the first arrow ( pigs seem to be HARD on arrows )
 

And some more pics.
 


 

 

I had a great time and came home with meat and the skulls (that will be cleaned by a friend that has beetles) and some good memories.
Eric is now a believer in trad bows!
 :archer:
"There is always luck about, for those willing to look for it"

Offline bawana bowman

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 1327
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2011, 10:24:00 PM »
Congratulations, Those last two were some decent size targets. Piggin sure is fun!
Whereabouts in Florida were you?

Offline caleb7mm

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 971
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2011, 10:51:00 PM »
awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hoyt Dorado 45&50lb

Offline saltwatertom

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 536
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2011, 11:00:00 PM »
The hunt was near Naples and btw, the meat has been GREAT so far. We are making fried backstrap for supper as I type this.

YUM YUM YUM!!!!!!  :thumbsup:
"There is always luck about, for those willing to look for it"

Offline MarkE2006

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 148
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2011, 11:17:00 PM »
Awesome; and great way to promote traditional gear.
'10 Howard Hill Wesley Special 70" 45@28; '09 Turkey Creek 62" 55@28; '09 Brush Country Wasp II 64" 54@28; '07 Turkey Creek Dbl Carbon 64" 56@28; '64 Wing Red Wing Hunter 58" 38@28; '62 Wing Red Wing Hunter 58" 50@28

Offline njloco

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 2357
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2011, 11:40:00 PM »
That is a great story, but I can't help smiling a lot, here you are from the hunting paradise coming down to Florida to hunt, but I guess you ain't got no pigs up there.
  • Leon Stewart 3pc. 64" R/D 51# @ 27"
  • Gordy Morey 2pc. 68" R/D 55# @ 28"
  • Hoyt Pro Medalist, 70" 42# @ 28" (1963)
  • Bear Tamerlane 66" 30# @ 28" (1966)- for my better half
  • Bear Kodiak 60" 47# @ 28"(1965)

Offline saltwatertom

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 536
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #13 on: November 24, 2011, 12:41:00 PM »
njloco,
No we don't have pigs here unless you go into someones yard and that can be more dnagerous that hunting brown bears!!!  :scared:

Also, the reality of it is that this is no longer "hunting paradise". Down south you have MANY more hunting oppertunities that the average person here. Yes we have some big stuff like the brown bears and some moose but hunting "outside" presents more access and more game and more species and more time to do it at a much lower cost. Some times I envey you guys living downthere ( just sometimes   ;)   :biglaugh:   )
"There is always luck about, for those willing to look for it"

Offline rimes

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 70
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #14 on: November 25, 2011, 02:26:00 PM »
Looks like alot of fun. I grew up on Marco Island about 20 minutes from Naples.

Offline njloco

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 2357
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #15 on: November 25, 2011, 07:18:00 PM »
Yes, we have lots of critters to hunt, only problem around here is getting permission to hunt on property, that is why there are so many critters.
  • Leon Stewart 3pc. 64" R/D 51# @ 27"
  • Gordy Morey 2pc. 68" R/D 55# @ 28"
  • Hoyt Pro Medalist, 70" 42# @ 28" (1963)
  • Bear Tamerlane 66" 30# @ 28" (1966)- for my better half
  • Bear Kodiak 60" 47# @ 28"(1965)

Online chinook907

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 903
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #16 on: November 25, 2011, 10:10:00 PM »
Way to go Tom.  Bet your skin was a few shades lighter than the Floridians !
"Have I not commanded you ? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Offline alligatordond

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 1086
Re: Florida questions (answered) part 2
« Reply #17 on: November 26, 2011, 01:41:00 PM »
Glad you enjoyed our state!!!
DonD

Users currently browsing this topic:

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
 

Contact Us | Trad Gang.com © | User Agreement

Copyright 2003 thru 2024 ~ Trad Gang.com ©